President Bola Tinubu has declared that his government’s bold economic reforms, which aim to restore Nigeria to its enviable position, are yielding fruitful results.
According to him, the country’s economy is now stable and attracting interest from around the world.
The president made this disclosure at the State House when he received the Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Oladunni Olaoye, Orumogege III, in audience with some other royal fathers.
President Tinubu said: “Years of neglect and self-deception, fake records, smuggling, and all of that have denied Nigeria the necessary revenue for progress and development.
“Then we were confronted again with arbitrage trading of currency, an illusion of selling papers, corruption all over the place, and the integrity of the country and its economy being extremely and adversely challenged.
“We had to take those actions. With your prayers, patience, perseverance and great understanding, I’m glad to tell you today that the economy is stabilised. The bleeding has stopped. Haemorrhage is gone; the patient is alive.”
The president also said the establishment of NELFUND was to ensure that no student would drop out because of poverty.
He affirmed that everybody has a right to education as it is the “greatest weapon you can give to human beings against poverty; that’s what we are doing. We have remained aggressive on our infrastructure. And it’s just two years”.
President Tinubu thanked the Soun of Ogbomoso for crediting his administration with the bold decisions taken immediately upon resumption of office.
He noted that the people of Ogbomosoland were already feeling the modernisation and transformation introduced by the monarch, who promised to strengthen traditional institutions.
The president promised to engage the Ministers of Power, Water Resources, Agriculture, and Works to look into the visiting monarch’s requests, stating they can make Nigeria self-sufficient in agriculture.
Earlier, the Soun commended the president for his incredible strides, which “only a bold leader could have recorded. Removing fuel subsidy has shown us that it is the right decision, and we can see the effects”.
Oba Olaoye said the foreign exchange reforms and introduction of NELFUND have made it easier for many students to continue their schooling without considering dropping out.
The paramount ruler, however, requested the president’s intervention in the water and power supply in Ogbomoso, the upgrading of the General Hospital in the town into a Federal Medical Centre, as well as the establishment of a research institute to enhance the development and transformation of the famous ‘Ogbomoso mangoes and cashew nuts’ into a viable agricultural enterprise.
